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Wondering how bad the air is in SoCal right now? Take a look

Alan Gonzalez hits a baseball to relatives in the field outside the Sylmar Recreation Center, where their family evacuated to this morning, as smoke from the Creek Fire billows in the background in Sylmar on Dec. 5, 2017.
Andrew Cullen for KPCC

KPCC Staff|December 7, 2017

People living in sections of the San Fernando Valley, L.A. county's coastal areas and the communities around them should limit their exposure and activity in the outdoors due to unhealthy air tainted by smoke the Creek and Skirball fire, according to a warning from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

"It is difficult to tell where ash or soot from a fire will go, or how winds will affect the level of dust particles in the air, so we ask all individuals to be aware of their immediate environment and to take actions to safeguard their health," said Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county's interim health officer.

Gunzenhauser warns that those with "heart disease, asthma or other respiratory disease, should follow these recommendations and stay indoors as much as possible even in areas where smoke, soot, or ash cannot be seen or there is no odor of smoke."

According to the department, areas of unhealthy air include:

East San Fernando Valley

West San Fernando Valley

Northwest Los Angeles County Coastal areas

Southwest Los Angeles County Coastal areas

There are a couple of maps you can see to get a visual idea of where the unhealthy air resides. This one is from Purple Air, which utilizes information from a network of low-cost air sensors:

Another map from Esri shows a regional, color-coded view and can be seen below. Just click on the X in the upper right to close the legend and get a clear look:

As for pets, health officials warn of leaving your pets outdoors, especially at night. Instead, bring them indoors or at least into an enclosed area, like a house or garage.